Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Better Child Care NYC?
We are a coalition of child care providers, property owners, labor organizations, trade associations, BIDs, chambers and more who are passionate about increasing the supply of child care seats and making them more accessible to all New York families. We are advocating for changes at the City and State level to ensure New York creates enough child care seats to support its residents.
Our five-point policy platform involves fixing the City's childcare property tax credit, expanding access hours from 7 am to 7 pm, making it easier to lease centers both above and below the ground floor of buildings, creating a fast track for permitting new centers, and establishing a collaborative effort among agencies like DOH, FDNY, DOB and others involved to streamline inspections.
Better Child Care NYC is determined to create opportunities for New Yorkers to get back to work, to help children learn and grow in safe, convenient, and affordable spaces, and to strengthen our economic recovery. Together, we are confident we can do so.
What is the Child Care Property Tax Credit and what does it cover?
The Child Care Property Tax Abatement allows owners to reduce their property tax burden for a period of time to supplement construction/retrofit costs for building child care centers. Currently, the child care tax credit covers $15 per square foot per year in child care deserts (capped at $45,000 annually) and $7 per square foot in non-child care deserts (capped at $20,000 annually). $25 million total is available each year.
Under the Better Child Care NYC proposal, the revised tax credit would provide $145 per square foot in child care deserts (capped at $550,000 annually) and $125 per square foot in non-child care deserts (capped at $200,000 annually). This would come at no additional expense for taxpayers as the total allocation of $25 million would not change. Learn more about the tax credit here.
How many child care seats could we create with our new tax credit plan?
The Mayor’s Management Report from July 2023 uses a ratio of 1 building for every 100 child care seats and suggests that 11,000 seats could be built with the current funding. Using the same formula and with a robust outreach effort, our tax credit changes could generate a fraction of the proposed seats without increasing foregone revenue.
Does the child care tax credit expire?
Applications are due on March 15th every year and will be accepted until March 15, 2025. We are working to extend this deadline by three years to allow for more applications.
Does the credit go towards the day care center or the building owner?
The building owner is the one who receives the value of the credit. A retrofit of the physical environment directly impacts the quality and accessibility of child care services. For instance, retrofitting may involve upgrading safety measures, expanding usable space, or incorporating technology to create a more conducive learning environment that is up-to-code. The positive changes implemented through the building owner's retrofitting efforts can lead to increased enrollment and improved overall conditions. More information and the full tax credit application can be found here.
How do I know if I am in a child care desert or not?
A ‘child care desert’ is defined by the NYS Office of Children and Families (OCFS) as an area where there are three or more children under the age of five per available child care slot. A statewide map showing all child care deserts statewide can be found here.
Why do we want to push for expanded access hours?
Many New Yorkers work non-traditional hours and are unable to find child care that fits the needs of their families. Some New Yorkers start their days very early and some end later. Some have lengthy commutes that can make it harder to pick up their children within the standard hours of 8am-5pm. Better Child Care NYC wants to work with providers and the City to better understand what it takes to extend child care hours, remove any barriers getting in the way, and how to replicate that model.
Would buildings have to lease above or below ground?
No. Changing the law to make it easier to lease above or below ground will provide more potential spaces for child care centers in which to open. Child care centers that want to open on the ground floor or second floor will be subject to the same safety and oversight process that currently exists. As a result, not every space will be approved to open a child care center, but these policy changes will allow for these floors to be considered.
Which agencies will be tasked with child care fast track permitting and inspections?
Under this proposal, FDNY, DOB, and DOH among other agencies would have to work together as a “wraparound” team to ensure these inspections are done thoroughly and efficiently. Agency coordination by the City will be especially key to get more seats inspected sooner rather than later.
Given funding challenges in the New York City government, how will this childcare platform impact the City and State budget?
These proposals are revenue-neutral – none of these proposed changes should cost the City or State more funding or revenue. These changes just make sure New Yorkers get the child care seats they expect.